Stop Dreaming
by LaDyFiCtIoN
Summary: If he doesn't stop dreaming, Itachi will surely be consumed by the blood on his numb hands. And yet, the only thing worth living for is Kisame. But that isn't enough anymore. [Light Kisame x Itachi moment, suggested yaoi]


See, I said I would post this after Decisions CH 2 and just like that, my RL ruins everything.

So Alex and I have decided that we would make a very good Itachi x Kisame pairing – we laughed, then for some reason, that night I'm dreaming I'm Itachi and this scene happened between us.

**Disclaimer:** Nothing.

**-=Stop Dreaming=- **

Itachi continued to walk behind his partner, eyes half-lidded in exhaustion, barely dragging himself along. His temples throbbed beyond belief. He could barely see the ground beneath his soaked feet and yet his raven orbs followed the red cloud pattern swaying before him. The Akatsuki cloak led the way, deeper into the darkest forest.

His breathing was shallow and uneven, the same rhythm as his heavy footsteps. All he could hear was the sound of samehada being dragged, as the sword grated and thrashed against the rocky path. Kisame had developed that habit, Itachi noted, after every battle.

_If Itachi cannot see, then he should listen,_ Kisame once told him.

He rested his eyes then and followed the irritating noise. They continued this stupor for almost an hour, lost in the silence of their aftermath. It went too far again. Hiding in plain sight no longer worked in most villages that were familiar with their organization. ANBU were always dispatched to kill. Another bloodbath, it seemed. Kisame relished in these thoughts, while Itachi drowned in the stillness of his darkness. He was somewhere else completely.

It almost took Itachi by surprise – he heard Kisame's voice but did not register the words. He opened his eyes to the sight of Kisame's back. The swordsman dropped his weapon and turned around. Only then could Itachi see the sadness on his face. Even through the blurry haze of his deteriorated vision, there was no mistaking that rare expression.

''Stop dreaming,'' Kisame told him scornfully, a second time.

Itachi understood the implication. He weakly lifted his arm and rubbed away the bloody tears from each cheek. Even now, almost every time Itachi dreamed of his past or of his future, the blood from his eyes would stain his face. Kisame stepped forward, and Itachi barely managed to mutter, ''stop.''

The sky broke open, in that instant; neither of them noticed the thunder or lighting, but the rain was troublesome.

Itachi's eyes became clear, as he blinked away the rain drops, and looked upon Kisame through his red lenses of power. He had enough stamina now to activate the intimidating and stoic glare of anger. Yet, it never fazed Kisame. His face, he knew, was much scarier than Itachi's swirling sharingan. That was why they were partners after all.

Itachi could have said no a countless number of times, in the rain but Kisame could not hear him through the deafening pitter patter. Itachi watched every moment of the approach, even as Kisame cupped his cheek in his larger hand. He continued to glare though, unwavering.

''Stop it,'' Kisame said, dauntingly staring into the crimson swirls of illusions.

Their words were always forceful but the exchange between them was genuine. Kisame was concerned. Itachi could see that clearly. It caused an ache in his chest, a pain buried deep inside to emerge. He tried to narrow his eyes and maintain his focus but Itachi felt as if he were to suddenly cry. It had been so long since normal tears had rolled down his face. He brought a hand up to Kisame's, still stroking his cheek, and tried to hold onto it. There was nothing he could say, but at least the rain, he knew, would hide his many sorrows.

The second hand to touch his face brought down all his defenses. Itachi finally closed his blackened eyes and allowed Kisame to hold him. His whole body gave into the embrace; Itachi completely let go and for a long moment in his life, he realized that having someone hold you unconditionally, without judgment or questions, was worth holding onto.

If only he could feel his hands…

**-=EndE=-  
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AN:_If he could feel his hands, he would be able to hold onto the people he cherished, but since Itachi's fingers are numb, which I reference earlier in the story as foreshadowing, he cannot hold onto anything in this life. It also references his past directly, as in all the blood on his hands, which I think metaphorically would eventually make his hands devoid of any real feeling – hence the numb hands that act on their own to kill. This is my foreshadowing into Itachi's mindset – which is symbolic because Itachi is constantly dreaming about his inevitable fight with Sasuke and it is consuming him mentally. That ties into the types of tears – and well, we all cried when he died, right, so tears of death, for his own included. _


End file.
